Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-01-26
mothers NC At THE YARD-ARM

|
Polly, gently. "She age,
| Ta1ueit." The three-sto
where can Mary go on thoseue lives
minable wa1ks?" said Isabella Cfort
morning to her father. "You should :,
warn her about Black Lane. She might
wander into it, and bring home typhoid
| fever" le
"You ought to report that lane as 40
nuisance father" said his wife. at Is q,
a perpetual sink of filth and vice." ;,
at is disgrace to Balls Ferry that u
such wretches can find harbor in itPr
added Isabella. They ought to be drly-,a
en- beyond the borough limits" f
Well, well, my dear! 1t doesn't do ;,
| to be TOO energetic" said the squire
"They never had chance" "a
He was reused, however, to uientio7o
Black Lane at meeting of the town Al
bnrgesses that day. l.
Something ought to be done, or we
will have typhus among u.s." he said. .
Something has been DONE" said Il
Judge PauIe. II came through the e
lane this morning, and hardly knew it. q
There has been general draining and D
cleaning, the dung hills are gone, the "a
cabins are whitewashed, the women ic
some of them-had actually washed their c
faces"
"What has happened?" asked the q
squire
AZ heard the sound of children's {
voices singing in one of the cabins, and c
the men told me it was Miss Mary's 4
class Some good woman has been at
work, suspect"
"NIiss Mary ?"-the squire's face :
grew red. his eyes flashed, but he said
nothing more.
Going home he met Polly coming to
meet him. He looked at her with the !
Eg4 of a Judge. Are you the good
Samar1sah2 Have you been In Black ]
Lane, my de8r2"
She blushed, laughed, and stammered
ooh, that was the most natural thlng
in the world, father. You know =! was
brought up among colored people
know how to manage them. 1t was
only ditch dug here and there, few
panes of glass and bushels Of lime
They are good, aff3cti0nzte creatures
and so anxious to learn"
The matter was driven out OF tbs
sources mind before he reached the
house. for he saw Tom skulking round
the stable door. He had returned that
dav, and a dull weight of misery fell at
the sight on his fathers heart. Tom
did not enter the house until late in the
evening. when the family were gathered
about the lawn. He came into the
room with d swsgger, unshaTen, his
boots reeking of the stable. ION pur-
pose to mortify us, thought Grace, bit
terIY.
4 came in to see Joe's fgg fau4I gdTy .,g
wife" he said. in loud voice. a ,,;reta
he's ashamed to introduce hisdep and
grace brother. ntly con-
ming. Where is she Grace?" los
I'm Uncle Ben's room. She reads
the New York papers to him every day
now. They play backgammon togeth-
er. and they have one Of those silly
books OF Artemus Wards. [ heard
him laughing and swearing harder than
ever. so he must be pleased. wonder
she can stand it."
1T is hard to understand her" said
Isabella dryly. MARY is not as care
full of her associations as she should be.
Tom had been listening eagerly
Enough said" he broke out, with q
thump Of his fist on the table. fJoes
wife can take thought of that lonely old
man up there, there's better stuff in her
than I expected. Ill go up and make
her acquaintance.
For several days afterwards Toms
voice was heard joining in the Jokes and
laughter that came out of Uncle Bens
room.
MARY seems to have enchanted them
both" said Grace. Tom = clean and
shaver to-day, and looks like a-numan
being"
Perhaps she treats him likes human
being" said Joe.
But even he was startled when Mary
came down that evening dressed for
walk, and, nodding brightly to Tom,
asked him to go with her. Finish
your book, Joe. Brother Tom will be
my escort"
Tom followed her slouching to the
gate. He stopped there. Shame, de-
fiance, misery looked out of his eyes.
"See here. Mrs. Demming. reckon
you wouldn't have asked me to go with
you"
Polly's tender, steady eyes met his,
eyes, know"
Dye know I'm thief? was in jail
at Pittsburg for year"
Polly drew her breath hard. 4
prayer to God for help, went up from
her heart in that second of time. She
held out both her hands.
Eyes, Joe told me- But this is all
over now-all, all over. You have be-
gun new again Brother Tom, comet"
She put her hand in his arm as they
walked down the street. He did not
speak to her until they came back
Then he stopped her again at the gate
MY sisters never have been seen with
me IN public since L came back. Ill
never forget this of you, Mary, never
4 month later the squire said to his
wife, did you know Mary was going
over his mathematics with Tom? Regu-
larly coaching him. This little girl has
the clearest head for figuring [ ever
knew. But what can be her object"
Mrs. Demming cleared her voice be-
fore she could speak. "She has sp-
piled to some of her friends in Ken
lucky to give Tom a situation. Father,
1 think there may be chance for the
boy. He wants to begin his life all over
again among strangers.
God help him, muttered the squire.
He surprised Polly when he met her
the next time by taking her in his arms,
and kissing her with the tears in his
eyes.
In the Spring Tom went to Kentucky
and began his new life. He has not
broken down in it yet.
It was in the spring, too, that Uncle
Ben began to fail. The old man was
so fond of Polly that she gave up
most of her time to him; so much of it,
indeed, that Joe complained.
Don't say word, dear" she said.
"he has such little while to stay Let
me do what can"
II say, Polly, was that the Bible you
were reading to him to-day?"
eyes. He asks for it often"
l.n